Waukegan police win OK to live outside city

After more than five months of negotiation, Waukegan has approved a police contract that eliminates a requirement for officers to live in the city.

The union's president said officers agreed to lower pay raises in return for getting rid of the residency requirement.

"We basically paid for our freedom, for our freedom to live where we choose," said Chuck Schletz, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Union Lodge 5, which represents 127 police officers.

"Not that everyone will leave," Schletz said. "But you should be able to get away.

"We have officers from all over, and many two-income homes, and they want to live somewhere convenient for both spouses."

The four-year contract calls for annual pay raises of 3.25 percent the first year, and 3 percent in subsequent years. It is retroactive to April 1, when the previous contract expired.

The City Council unanimously approved the contract early Wednesday, after a lengthy discussion behind closed doors. The police union approved the deal Tuesday, Mayor Richard Hyde said.

Chief Miguel Juarez said Wednesday that he was pleased that the residency requirement has been eliminated.

"That is going to broaden my pool of police applicants," Juarez said.

Hyde and former Mayor Dan Drew had supported eliminating the requirement.

"I'm just a firm believer that in the United States you should have the opportunity to live where you want," Hyde said.

City officials said residency requirements in contracts with firefighters, public works employees and secretaries will remain until those contracts are renegotiated.

The new contract also changes the work schedules for officers, Juarez said. They will work a shorter rotation schedule, with five days on and two days off, then five days on and three days off. Under the old contract, they had six days on and two off for a month, then six days on and three off.

Schletz said the union worked hard to eliminate the sixth workday in the schedule, because the officers "tend to get burned out by that last day."